Pokemon Defenders
by Homomatic
Summary: The Delta Defenders. A group of Pokemon trainers tasked with protecting endangered Delta Pokemon. Phillip is a social media obsessed drama geek. Milo has lived in seclusion his whole life. Flynn just wants to leave her past behind her. But when the three join the Delta Defenders, they find themselves involved in a conspiracy bigger than they could ever imagine.
1. Prologue

**_Ten Years Ago_**

Phillip got his first camera when he was eight. By the time he was nine, his whole room was decorated with photos.

The most important photo Phillip ever took was of his first Pokemon.

Phillip was walking home from school. It was a ten minute walk normally, but Phillip could turn ten minutes into a lifetime. He took pictures of things, picked flowers, played with the neighbors Pokemon, and did anything to stall his walk home. Not because he had a troubled home life- he loved his parents and they loved him- but because he honestly got distracted easily.

Phillip was walking on the edge of the sidewalk, pretending that if he fell in, he would die from what he first imagined as water but had somehow become lava. Secretly, he fell in a few times. As long as no one saw he could pretend it never happened, right?

"Bulba!"

Phillip was so startled by the cry that he fell off his ledge. Phillip looked around, wondering what had sent him into the lava.

"Stupid freak!"

Two kids, a boy and a girl, were kicking a small pink pokemon. It was covered in purple and pink spots of various shades, and had a purple bulb on it's back. The flower on the side of it's forehead was wilted.

Phillip wanted to cry out, to push them away. But he was terrified. So instead Phillip did the one thing he always knew to do- he took a picture.

The camera flash alerted the abusers to Phillip's presence. They stopped kicking the Pokemon and looked at Phillip.

"Why did you do that?" The girl asked shrilly.

"Leave that Pokemon alone," Phillip cried, "or I'll show the police this picture! Hurting Pokemon is illegal. You'll get in trouble!"

"Don't you know what this Pokemon is?" The boy said angrily.

"What?" Phillip asked.

"Look at it." The girl said. "What does it look like?"

Phillip stared at the Pokemon. It did look familiar...

"It's a Bulbasaur?" Phillip said in bemusement. "But it's pink?"

"It's a Delta Pokemon." The boy spat. "My daddy calls them freaks of nature. They aren't supposed to exist."

Phillip balled his fists, his camera swinging from the cord on his neck. "I don't care!" Phillip said loudly. "If you hurt them, I'm going to show someone this picture."

The kids looked at each other, then ran.

Phillip approached the Bulbasaur. It was unconscious, and Phillip could almost pretend it was asleep.

Phillip scooped him into his arms. "C'mon." He said. "I'll get you to the Pokemon center."

* * *

 ** _Eight Years Ago_**

Milo was the perfect son.

He didn't break rules, he made good grades, he volunteered. He certainly didn't steal a Pokemon from the Pokemon Shelter and bring it home. That just wasn't something Milo did. If you were to even suggest such a thing, his parents would laugh in your face. _That's impossible._ They would say.

But the impossible was staring him in the face. Or sleeping on his bed, rather.

What was worse was that the Bergmite he stole wasn't a normal Bergmite. It had a body made of rocks instead of ice, and scaly appendages that marked it as a Dragon Type.

Milo heard the front door open, and he prepared himself for the worst.

* * *

 _ **Six Years Ago**_

Flynn had seen some horrible things in her life, but the black market skyrocketed to the top of the list.

The underground passage was dimly lit. Flynn wished that the cheap lights would go out, because she didn't want to see anymore. Pokémon being sold were in cages, cages littered with their own excrement. One Houndour was missing an eye. A Jigglypuff's skin seemed to sag, is if it had popped.

But regardless of how she felt, she had a job to do.

Flynn walked toward the building farthest from the entrance. It was a run down shack. Flynn knew many people lived down here in the Black Market area- when its location moved, they did. Criminals, victims, hermits- they all had a place there.

She knocked on the door exactly three times, then said "Excuse me, I've lost my Flabebe and I think it wandered in to your house. Have you seen her?"

From the other side of the door came a raspy voice Flynn had to struggle to hear.

"Yes, she's in here. Step inside."

That was the code. Flynn grabbed the doorknob and stepped inside.

The man sat in a rickety lawn chair that had no place inside a house. His other furniture consisted of a child's table depicting a popular cartoon character, a beanbag that had seen better days (and probably better owners), and a few blankets and several pillows on the floor.

"Let's do this quickly." He said. "You have the money?"

Flynn nodded, and reached into her pocket. She handed him a roll of cash.

"Thank you." He said in a low growl. "Now take this."

He handed her what seemed like a normal red Pokeball, but Flynn knew it was a dummy ball. Pokeballs were linked to the Pokeball System, an online web of data that kept track of who owned what pokemon, in order to prevent stealing. Dummy balls kept pokemon trapped (unlike regular pokeballs, which they could exit at anytime), and pokemon captured in them could be recaptured by others. This made it easy to trade Pokemon without them being registered to the PBS.

Flynn took the pokeball, pressing the button once. The ball shrunk, and she stuffed it in her pocket.

"I hope they like him." The old man grumbled as she left.

 _They won't be getting him._ Flynn thought. _He's my ticket out._

* * *

 ** _A/N: Hi, I'm back! And here's a new fanfiction! It's based on the fangame Pokémon Insurgence. I'll be using the Delta Pokémon and other elements from that game. But the storyline will be different for the sake of originality, and I won't use all of the same characters._**

 ** _Shout Out to Suzerain, Deukhoofd, and the rest of the insurgence team for their awesome game!_**

 ** _Also, feel free to submit your own Delta! I request a picture, though if you can't make one I'll understand._**


	2. Commemorate

Milo would not be any less impressed with his new teammate if he had turned out to be imaginary. Actually, he would have preferred an imaginary teammate.

"Don't do so melodramatic." Flynn said crossly when he shared this opinion. She sat on the edge of her bed, looking at two nail polish colors. "I'm sure he'll be great. Hey, which do you think would intimidate boys more, Enigma Berry or Gyarados Blood?"

Milo sighed, pushing his wire rimmed glasses back up his nose. "You're pretty intimidating yourself, Flynn. But Enigma Berry. Mystery is scarier than straight up gore."

Flynn blew him a kiss. "That actually makes sense, Miles. You're officially the love of my life."

Milo grinned. "Yay, let's have our wedding on a beach."

"Sand? Gross." Flynn made a face. "That's it, wedding off."

Milo shrugged. "You could have at least left me at the altar like a respectable fiance."

Flynn sucked her teeth like a delinquent. "When have I ever been respectable?"

"Good point." Milo said. "But seriously, look at this guy. He's an attention whore." he passed her his phone. Flynn examined the screen with interest.

"First off, we prefer the term 'Humility Impaired'." Flynn said. "Second, wow. This guy practically lives in his underwear. How many slutty selfies can one person take per day? It's oddly inspiring."

Milo chucked a pillow at her. It missed, but hey, it's the thought that counts. "If I see one underwear selfie I will kick your ass."

Talking and teasing came so easy with Flynn. They had only known each other a year, but she was the first person he really connected with. Mostly because she took the time to connect. Most people saw he was antisocial, and that's all they saw. But Flynn saw under that, to his playful side, his silly side, his anxious side, and even his vulnerable side. She truly was his best friend. His problem wasn't with this guy (though his social media personality didn't help), but with the fact that they were getting a new teammate. They had been fine on their own, and Milo was scared that he'd mess up their dynamic.

Flynn, being the perfect and annoying and perfectly annoying friend she was, caught on easily. "Milo, the three of us will get along fine. If not, he has three months to choose whether to team up with us or go off on his own. We'll be fine."

Milo nodded. "I hope so." He muttered

* * *

Phillip stood outside the lab and stared at his outfit again in the lens his camera. He had to make a good first impression on these guys, so he wore his best- a pink t-shirt that said #Love and skinny jeans the same color but a shade darker. His new red chucks were clean and tied. His blond hair perfectly coiffed.

"Ready." He said to himself. He then snapped a quick selfie with his phone, because Phillip was nothing if not taking pictures of something, and entered Professor Sylvan's lab.

The inside was about what Phillip expected- a front desk, waiting room, and a hallway leading to various doors. Phillip approached the front desk and flashed the receptionist his thousand Kilowatt smile.

"Hi, I have an appointment with Professor Sylvan." He said. The receptionist looked bored as she checked something on her computer.

"Ah yes, Phillip." She said. "She's waiting for you in the Delta Room. Second door to the right."

Phillip smiled and nodded, then headed toward the Delta Room. He knocked once.

"Come in." Said a soft voice. Phillip opened the door and stepped in.

Sitting in chairs in front of a desk were a boy and a girl. The boy was a fashion disaster. He wore a cargo vest (the kind fishermen wore?) over a reddish brown shirt and khakis. His brown hair was messy and curly, and could use a wash. The girl was much prettier. Her indigo hair was shaved on one side and long on the other, and the shaved side had intricate designs. She wore a black leather jacket over tight jeans and a black and white striped shirt. Her feet were adorned with black boots. Both teens were brown skinned, though the boy's skin was lighter while the girl's dark.

Behind the desk was Professor Sylvan, who Phillip recognized from his interview. She had long, messy blue hair and wore her standard lab coat and jeans.

"Hi, Professor!" Phillip greeted her cheerfully. "And you two must be Milo and Flynn?"

"Nice to see you again, Phillip." she said. "Please, take a seat."

Flynn smirked at him as he sat down. "Nice outfit." She didn't sound sarcastic, though the smirk was still there.

"I like your nails." Phillip responded earnestly. "Enigma Black, right?"

Flynn smirked triumphantly at Milo, who glared back. Phillip looked at him over Flynn.

The Professor cleared her throat, and they all turned to face her.

"Well, first thing's in order," The Professor said, "Welcome, Phillip, to the Delta Defenders. In this program-"

"Professor," Phillip groaned, "I know what this program is. You don't have to explain it."

Professor Sylvan crossed her arms. "Phillip, you're lucky I like you. The last man to interrupt me was thrown out."

"Sorry Auntie." Phillip said.

"She's your aunt?" Flynn asked.

"Not by blood." Phillip explained. "But my mom went to college with her mom. They've been best friends ever since. So I call her auntie."

"Yes, and as your honorary aunt," Professor Sylvan said, "I have the right to call your mother if you misbehave. Now listen, as it's mandatory for me to say this. The Delta Defenders are a group of Pokemon conservationists. By signing up, you pledge that as you go on your journey, you will protect all Delta Pokemon you meet. While travelling, you will get text alerts as to if a Delta Pokemon has been reported in your area. Your job is to catch it and transfer it to me via the PC system. Now, on to what Delta Pokemon are and why they need to be protected.

"Delta Pokemon are mutations of regular Pokemon. As a result of these mutations, they have different typing, move sets, and appearances than their normal counterparts. These Pokemon are not like alternate forms found between regions. They do not develop a new type in order to survive a new environment. They get a new type and that often clashes with the environment they're species are normally suited for. For example, a fire type Glalie in the snowy tundra would not survive well.

"And lastly, Delta Pokemon are also often the victims of religious prejudice and hate crimes. Please be aware that you may encounter a Delta in danger from a human. Alert the proper authorities at once if that happens. Any questions, Phillip?".

Phillip shook his head.

"Good." She said. "You've already signed the paperwork, so I guess that's it. Milo and Flynn will be your team until you get your bearings, and beyond if you choose. You might want to discuss with them your plans. As for me, I have to go. Busy schedule today. But I want you to call me before you leave, understand?" She winked at him as she left the office.

Phillip turned to the other two as soon as she left. "So, selfie?" he said.

Flynn raised an eyebrow. "Now?"

Phillip nodded. "We have to commemorate the moment!"

Milo shook his head. "I don't take pictures." he said hoarsely.

Phillip looked scandalized. His brows shot towards his hair. "What? Why not?"

Milo looked away. "I just don't, okay. Let it go."

Phillip softened, his shoulders sagging. "That's okay. I never take pictures of people who don't want me to. But can we take a picture if I don't share it? I really want to commemorate this moment."

"Why?" Milo asked crossly. "Why is it important to you?"

Phillip smiled, tilting his head. "Because every moment is important."

Milo seemed to soften as well. He fixed his hair self consciously. "Fine. But on one condition."

"And that condition is…? " Phillip asked.

"If you battle me." Milo said.

"I'd love to!" Phillip said, clapping his hands together. "Now smile you guys!"

Phillip snapped the selfie before they could protest, then examined it. Surprisingly, the first one came out well- that was unheard of. Milo was surprised, his eyebrows raised and eyes wide. Flynn had smiled just in time, and it lit up her face. Phillip was laughing.

"That's a keeper." Phillip said happily. "Now, you were saying you wanted a battle?"


	3. Milo vs Phillip: A Creative Battle!

"This will be a one on one battle," Flynn announced, acting as the referee. They were using the battlefield behind the lab, with Phillip and Milo staring each other down. "No items or substitutions. First one to knock out the other Pokémon wins. The lowest level Pokémon starts the battle. Trainers, call your Pokémon!"

"Go, Rosie!" Phillip threw a pokeball. In a flash of light, Rosie the Delta Bulbasaur appeared.

Milo's eyes narrowed. "You named her Rosie? Are you six?"

Phillip smirked. "What? Are you scared to lose to a Pokémon named Rosie?"

Milo grabbed a Pokeball from his pocket. Without answering, he threw it. "Bergmite!"

Delta Bergmite appeared on field as well. He growled fiercely, seemingly oblivious to his size.

"Aw!" Phillip squealed. "He's so cute!" Phillip scanned him with his pokedex.

Milo scowled. "Cute?" Milo scanned Rosie.

The actual pokedex entry wasn't important : both pokedexes gave the entry for the non delta forms of their starter, which was useless. But it did give them the other Pokémon's move set and stats.

Milo's eyes narrowed. _Rosie knows Light Screen, and Reflect._ Milo thought. _Phillip is going to try and set up with one of those two shield moves, raising either his team's Defense of Special Defense. But I have the first move. If I have Bergmite keep attacking, I can make it so he never can set up_.

"Are both trainers ready?" Flynn asked. They both nodded. "Then… Begin!"

"Draco Jet, then Take Down!" Milo yelled. Bergmite became surrounded by a blue aura, then rushed forward, the aura turning silver as he rammed into Rosie. Rosie flew across the filed, landing on her feet some distance away.

"You knew Draco Jet couldn't hurt Rosie," Phillip said with an impressed smile, "So you used it's speed but switched to Take Down to do damage. Clever, Milo."

Milo couldn't help but thaw a little. "You saw right through me." He said with a small smile.

"Well, can you see through this?" Phillip cried. "Fairy Wind!

Rosie's eyes turned glowing pink. The wind around her became full of pink powder as it picked up and blew towards Bergmite, blowing him back.

"Bergmite, Iron Defense!" Milo yelled. Bergmite became coated in iron, making him heavier.

"Interesting use of Iron Defense!" Phillip said, fist pumping the air.

"Take Down!" Milo called. Bergmite rushed forward.

"Substitute!" Phillip retaliated. Rosie began to glow. The aura left her and became it's own pokemon, and exact copy of Rosie.

"Go for the real Rosie!" Milo commanded. Bergmite rammed into one of the Rosie's, but it disappeared in a puff of smoke. The other Rosie hit Bergmite with a Psybeam, throwing him across the battlefield.

"Rosie used Ally Switch!" Phillip cackled. "So even though you went for the real Rosie, they just switched places at the last second!"

"I didn't even know that was possible." Flynn said from the sidelines. "You can use Ally Switch on a Substitute?"

"I didn't either!" Phillip said happily. "That's why I tried it!"

Milo looked at him incredulously. "So you just guessed that would work? What if it hadn't?"

"You got to risk it for the biscuit ." Phillip said. "If it hadn't, we would have recovered somehow. Right, Rosie?"

"Bulbasaur!" Rosie cheered, doing a happy little scuttle.

Milo shook his head. "You're insane." Milo said.

"I personally think he's a genius." Flynn countered.

Phillip shrugged, checking his hair in his phone. "Why not both? Rosie, Power Gem!"

"Rock Blast, Bergmite!"

Rainbow colored gems appeared around Rosie, while rocks surround Bergmite. The two attacks launched at each other, colliding and raining down on the battlefield.

 _Wait… There are rocks everywhere!_

"Rock Slide!"

All of the rocks and gems began to roll toward Rosie like water in a river, knocking her off her feet. They began to pile around her, burying her.

"Ally Switch!" Phillip cried. Rosie and Bergmite switched places, with Bergmite now under the rocks.

"Fairy Wind!"

A pink vortex surrounded the rock pile, swirling and lifting the rocks and Bergmite into the air. The rocks hit Bergmite repeatedly, knocking it to the ground.

"Bergmite is unable to battle!" Flynn declared. "The winner's are Phillip and Rosie!"

Rosie ran to Phillip, jumping into his arms. Phillip took a selfie with her.

Milo walked up to Bergmite. He smiled weakly at Milo. "You did well, old friend." Milo said, returning him to his pokeball. Milo looked at Phillip.

"You did great, Phillip." Milo said quietly. "I'm sorry I was so standoffish before. I assumed you couldn't battle or didn't take battling seriously because you're so-"

"Flamboyant?" Phillip said with a smirk. "Or maybe vapid? If I had judged you based on you judging me so quickly, I'd say you were a jerk."

Milo's face fell.

"But I won't." Phillip said. "You shouldn't judge people before getting to know them. And I look forward to knowing you, Milo." Phillip put Rosie down and stuck out his hand.

Milo took the other boy's hand. "Same here, Phillip."

Flynn grinned at the two boys as they shook. She was clearly pleased.

"Okay, but now we have to battle." Flynn said to Phillip. "I want to see some of your moves."

"You're on." Phillip said. "I'm happy to take you down."

"You wish."

* * *

 ** _A/N: Hey guys! So, how do you like these characters so far? Yay or nay?_**

 ** _Also, I haven't abandoned my other stories. I definitely plan to finish them. Eventually. Please don't kill me._**

 ** _Reader Question time! Can you figure out the theme behind my main character's names? First person to figure it out gets to submit an OC to be one of the_** _**main character's rivals!**_

 _ **Edit: Someone figured it out, so it's done. Thanks for playing!**_


	4. Flynn vs Phillip!

Flynn stared down Phillip, her previous judgment of him shattered. Despite his personality, or maybe because of, he was a great battler. After all, Flynn knew Milo was no pushover. But neither was she.

"This will be a one on one battle," Milo announced, acting as the referee. He looked between the two boys as if unsure who was going to come out on top. "No items or substitutions. First one to knock out the other Pokémon wins. The lowest level Pokémon starts the battle. Trainers, call your Pokémon!"

Flynn threw a pokeball. "Shinx!" she cried.

Phillip mimicked her action. "Angel!"

A white pokemon with small wings fluttered out of it's pokeball. "Toge!" It cried.

Flynn scanned it with her pokedex.

"Togetic, The Happiness Pokémon. Fairy/Flying type. Togetic is said to be a Pokémon that brings good fortune. When the Pokémon spots someone who is pure of heart, it is said to appear and share its happiness with that person. Ability: Serene Grace. Gender: Male. " On the pokedex screen was a display of its stats and moves.

That pokemon will be hard to hit. Flynn thought. But Shinx can manage. Shinx has a two type advantages, but I wouldn't be surprised if he had a way to counter them both. I need to be careful.

"Are both fighters ready?" Milo said. They both nodded. "Then... Begin!"

"Poison Fang!" Flynn yelled. Shinx pounced, flying towards Angel.

"Dodge!"

Angel flied above Shinx, nearly avoiding her poisonous fangs.

"Smart Strike!" Phillip called. Angel's hands became coated in steel as he swooped down and struck Shinx in the back, causing her to cry out.

"Shinx!" Flynn cried. "Venoshock!"

Violet sparks shot from Shinx to Angel, shocking him and causing him to droop towards the ground.

"Now, Metal Claw!" Flynn yelled. Shinx jumped up and slashed at Angel with metallic claws. Togetic dodged the swipe, fluttering above Shinx.

"Smart Strike again!" Phillip yelled.

"Iron Tail!" Flynn retaliated. Shinx's tail met Togetic's fist, causing a loud clanging sound when they collided. The two grappled for dominance, pushing against the other. Finally, Angel was pushed back, crashing into the ground.

"Now, Toxic!"

Shinx stomped her feet, and purple acid surrounded Angel. Angel started to wretch.

"Shinx's ability, Venomous, makes her poison even more toxic!" Flynn cheered. "You lose, Phillip. There's no way he can survive that."

Phillip smirked. "Aromatherapy, Angel!"

Angel began to glow, his wings fluttering rapidly. Green powder flew from his wings, spreading around him. The powder dissolved the poison, turning it into water. Angel shook himself off and faced Shinx.

"You are good." Flynn conceded. "But I'm not giving up yet! Poison Fang!"

"Dodge, then Smart Strike!" Phillip yelled.

Both pokemon rushed at each other. Shinx bit Angel's wings as he unsuccessfully tried to dodge.

"Shake her off, Angel!" Phillip cried. Togetic flung Shinx away, but it was too late- he was poisoned. He staggered forward.

"You deduced that Aromatherapy comes from the wings." Phillip said shrewdly. "So you targeted them. Now he can't heal the poison."

Flynn smirked. "Finish him, Shinx!" she cried. "Venoshock!"

Shinx's eyes turned a deep shade of violet as she began to spark. Bolts of violet electricity shot towards Angel, lighting him up. Angel fell to the ground.

"Angel is unable to battle!" Milo declared. "The winners are Flynn and Shinx!"

Shinx and Flynn trotted up to Phillip, who thanked Angel and returned him. Milo joined them.

"Great battle, Flynn!" Phillip cheered. He high fived her.

They made their way to the Pokémon Center, healing their Pokémon quickly and walking outside.

"I say we need to meet each other's teams." Phillip said as they made their way down the sparse street. Telnor was a quaint small town, with dirt paths and plenty of greenery. They passed by a small lake as Phillip talked. "We're going to be working together, after all."

Flynn nodded. "Makes sense." she said. "What say you, Milo?"

Milo agreed, so they walked into Telnor Park and each pulled out two pokeballs.

"Rosie, Angel! Time to shine! "

"Shinx, Grimer! Let's go!"

"Bergmite, Graveler!"

Six Pokémon appeared in front of them. By Milo's side was Bergmite, who growled, and a gray boulder like pokemon with yellow stones across its body and black sand sticking to its arms and face like fur. On each side of Phillip was Rosie and Angel, both of whom greeted the other Pokémon happily. Next to Flynn was Shinx, who proudly smirked at Angel, and a green Pokémon with two stones in its mouth resembling teeth.

The Pokémon began to socialize with varying degrees of enthusiasm. Graveler mostly nodded as the other Pokémon talked, and Bergmite ignored them completely, preferring to chew on some stones. Grimes was excitedly chatting with Angel, who avoided Grimer's hugs and attempted high fives. Shinx and Rosie both seemed to be trying to outshine the other as they talked.

Meanwhile, Flynn got to know Phillip. He was a former student of _X_ Academy, had seven times more Instamon Followers than she did, specialized in Fairy Types, loved photography, and seemed to be an all around cheerful (though somewhat vain) person. Even Milo got along reasonably well with him, though Milo didn't contribute to the conversation as much as Flynn and Phillip.

Flynn was just about to ask him about his hobbies when all three of their phones buzzed.

"Our first assignment." Milo said. "There's a Delta Snorlax in Shade Forest."

Flynn grinned. "Well, what are you guys waiting for? Let's go save a Pokémon!"

* * *

"Brother Iscariot."

Iscariot looked up from his book. A grunt was staring at him from the doorway of his room, trembling slightly. Iscariot smiled warmly.

"Do not fear me, brother." Iscariot smiled, "I am no danger to my siblings. Only to my enemies. What is it you need?"

"Sister Josiah called." he said timidly. "She says a Delta Pokemon has been spotted in Shade Forest. We must act quickly."

Iscariot nodded. "Very well." he stood, tucking the small book into a large pocket on the inside of his jacket. "We shall go immediately."

"There's one more thing, sir." The grunt muttered.

"What is it?" Iscariot asked. "I do hope it isn't bad news. You know how I hate bad news."

The grunt gulped. "It's The Delta Defenders. We managed to pick up on their communications channel. They'll be after the Delta Pokemon as well."

Iscariot laughed softly. "Excellent. It's time we let that group know what it means to oppose The Artless Brotherhood."

* * *

 _ **A/N: So our first cult enters the fray! I really wanted to use the Hallowed Church, the Cult from my story Pokemon Prodigies, but instead we'll use The Artless Brotherhood. All of the cults in this story will be original, not because I don't like the cults in the games (I love them), but because I honestly love creating my own villains.**_

 _ **Reader Question Time! How many cults should I use? Let me know in your review!**_

 _ **In other news, now that we have all the Main Characters Pokemon (so far) revealed, so from now on we'll keep a Team Tracker on the bottom of the page.**_

* * *

 _ **Phillip:**_

 _ **-Delta Bulbasaur (Rosie)**_

 _ **-Togetic (Angel)**_

 _ **Milo:**_

 ** _-Delta Bergmite_**

 ** _-Alolan Graveler_**

 ** _Flynn:_**

 ** _-Delta Shinx_**

 ** _-Alolan Grimer_**


	5. Silently

One thing that should have been obvious but wasn't: Shade Forest was huge. They had been walking for ten minutes and still weren't close. Making matters worse, the forest was dark. Trees extended to the sky, blocking light from touching the ground.

Milo, Flynn, and Phillip walked calmly through the forest, using their Pokegear App to keep themselves from getting lost.

"According to the text," Milo said, pushing up his glasses, "The Delta Snorlax is south the entrance to Telnor cave, near Dark Cave."

"Dark Cave?" Flynn said. "Isn't that where the Cult of Darkrai base used to be, before they were disbanded? That's not foreboding at all."

Phillip lit up. "I hear that place is all decrepit and you can find all kinds of relics from the Cult there." he said, as if talking about a nice park and not a former cult base. "It'd be perfect for a photo shoot."

"We're not here to take photos." Milo said sternly. "We have to find Delta Snorlax."

"I meant after." Phillip said. "Though we may not have a choice but go there. Regular Snorlax tend to sleep in caves when not collapsed on a bridge or something."

"Delta Snorlax is supposedly a Grass type." Flynn said. "Which means it probably likes sunlight. Why it would be in Shade Forest is beyond me. It's always, well, shady here."

"It makes sense." Phillip said. "Regular Snorlax don't like sunlight because it disturbs their sleep. But Delta Pokemon don't live by the normal rules of their species. A Delta Snorlax born here would be suffering, because this habitat is suited for normal Snorlax."

"Then let's hurry." Milo said. No one protested.

"Tic, Tic!"

Phillip looked up. Angel was flying towards them. Phillip had sent him to fly through the forest to see if he could find anything. On his shoulder was a tiny camera that broadcasted to Phillip's phone.

"Did you find the Snorlax?" Phillip asked.

Togetic nodded, gesturing urgently to Phillip's hand. Phillip realized she meant the phone in his hand. He unlocked it and stared at the screen.

Phillip cursed.

"What's wrong?" Flynn asked.

Phillip didn't answer her. He took off in the direction Togetic came from. Togetic flew ahead of him, leading him there. Flynn and Milo chased after him, shouting "Wait!"

They arrived in a clearing. In the center was a man, standing over a fallen Snorlax. The Snorlax was green, with thick bushes growing from his shoulders.

"Stop!" Phillip yelled.

The man looked at Phillip with a small smile. He wore baggy white pants and a white shirt. His blue eyes were decorated with gold eye shadow, and six gold pokeballs hung from a ivory belt on his waist. His Blond hair was perfectly coiffed. "Hello, young one." he said. "You are?"

"I'm going to kick your ass." Phillip snapped. "Leave Snorlax alone!"

Milo and Flynn had caught up to him. "Phillip," Flynn said, "What's going on-"

"He was hitting the Snorlax after it had already fainted." Phillip said, panting. "He was beating it!"

The man smiled again. Phillip decided that he would knock his perfect white teeth in. "My boy, this Pokemon isn't normal. Surely you can see that?"

Flynn stepped forward. "We know what it is. It's a Delta Pokemon!" She snapped. "That doesn't give you the right to treat it like trash!"

The man smiled. "Let me guess. You three are in the Delta Defenders Program?"

Milo nodded. "Yeah. So we'll be taking that Pokemon with us."

"Such a shame." The man said. "Such young minds, brainwashed by the masses into believing lies."

Phillip recoiled. "What are you going on about?"

"They tell you that dishonest Pokemon are to be protected." he said. "But they will bring our doom. That's why it is the job of the Artless Brotherhood to rid the world of these putrid Pokemon."

Flynn took a step back. "You're with that group?" she said, her voice tight.

"Who?" Milo asked her.

"The Artless Brotherhood," Flynn said, "Is a disbanded cult. They were destroyed by the Augur years ago."

"And yet here I stand." The man said. "I am Brother Iscariot. We may have went into hiding, but I assure you, we are very much alive."

Phillip took a step back as well. None of this made sense. Surely the Police would know if their were still cults left? And if this cult were active, why would Iscariot just tell them? Didn't cults operate in secrecy?

Brother Iscariot took a step forward. Angel flew in front of them, shielding Phillip and the others.

Iscariot laughed. "I'm not going to hurt them, young one?" he said to Angel. "Please move."

Angel shook his head. "Toge!"

"Fine." Iscariot sighed. "You force my hand." he snapped his fingers.

It happened too fast for Phillip to process it immediately. One second, Angel was above them, the next he was on the ground, translucent chains wrapped around his body.

Phillip dropped to Angel's side. "Angel!"

"That was Spirit Shackle." Milo said, looking around frantically. "But I didn't see an arrow."

Iscariot smiled again. His smile was the smile of someone who had just won. "My Pokemon attack silently from the shadows." he said. "Their attacks are faster than the human eye can see. Surrender now, or I will command them to attack again."

* * *

 ** _A/N: Brother Iscariot enters the scene! Just like my villains in Pokemon Prodigies, these villains will each have a hidden talent, such as Brother Iscariot's silent attacks._**

 ** _Reader Question Time! HAve any suggestions for their hidden talents? Drop a review!_**


	6. Defenders vs Iscariot

Flynn had one thought running through his head: _This is bad._

Brother Iscariot stared them down, a pleasant smile still lingering on his face.

"Now you three will cooperate." He said. "I am going to dispose of this false Pokemon." Iscariot pulled out a Pokeball from waist.

"Wait!" Phillip yelled. Brother Iscariot stopped. "Aren't you at least going to tell us why you hate this Pokemon?"

Brother Iscariot's gaze pierced Phillip. His smile seemed to widen, becoming more manic. Flynn was reminded of some trainer's when they battled. They had the same look, like ' _This is what I live for_ '. It was a look of absolute _rapture._ Only this look was less _passion_ , and more _obsession._ Flynn could tell right then he wasn't completely sane.

In other words, he was sufficiently distracted. Flynn pulled out a Pokeball. She had a plan. She just needed Phillip to distract Iscariot longer...

"You call my Church a cult." Brother Iscariot said. "From your perspective, maybe we are. Regardless, we stand for what's right. This Pokemon is wrong. It's that simple, child."

"Why?" Milo argued. "Why do you get to decide what Pokemon are bad?"

Brother Iscariot laughed. "Me? I do not have such power." he said. "It was decided by Mew."

"Mew?" Phillip asked.

"Mew." Iscariot confirmed. "Our Holy book, _Sanctus_ , is divided into 13 parts, each written by a human blessed by a legendary Pokemon. That Pokemon told the human it's decrees for the world, and the human transcribed them into a chapter of the book. In Mew's chapter, False Pokemon are condemned as demons, sent here to destroy us. When humans begin to accept False Pokemon, than the end of times is near. The Artless Brotherhood is committed to preventing this apocalypse by any means necessary."

"False Pokemon?" Phillip asked. "You mean Delta Pokemon?"

"Whatever you call them," he said, "They should not be permitted to live. By destroying them, we can postpone the end of days."

"That's insane." Phillip said.

"Completely." Milo agreed.

Iscariot kept smiling manically. "You can insult my religion all you want, but I am protecting you!"

Then Flynn snapped. "Shut up! Shinx, Venoshock!"

Flynn threw a Pokeball. Shinx erupted from the ball, sending indigo electricity into the trees.

"Deye!" From a tree behind Iscariot fell a green and brown feathered Pokemon, It scrambled to it's feet.

"How could you have found-"

"Shinx can see anything." Flynn said, balling her fists. "I can see through your bullshit. You claim that your religion is what causes you to hate Delta Pokemon? Hatred doesn't come from religion. You're just using religion to justify your bigotry. And I'm not going to sit here and let you do that! Toxic!"

Shinx shot gunk from his tail at Decidueye, who flapped his wings to blow it back at Shinx

Phillip looked at Milo, who nodded back. He and Milo threw a Pokeball, and Rosie and Bergmite appeared.

"Help Shinx, Rosie! Draining Kiss!"

"Take Down, Bergmite!"

Both Pokemon ran to Shinx, but white ropes shot from the trees and surrounded them, holding them in place.

"Did you honestly think my Archer was the only Pokemon I had hidden in these trees?" Iscariot gloated.

Meanwhile, Shinx wasn't doing very well against Decidueye. Shinx kept shooting gunk at him, but Decidueye moved swiftly from tree to tree, shooting arrows in between shots. Shinx was able to dodge each hit, but only by a hair, and none of her hits landed on the other Pokemon.

"Incinerate on Rosie!" Milo yelled.

"Magical Leaf on Bergmite!" Phillip yelled.

Both Pokemon launched their attacks, an array of rainbow leaves and a ball of fire surrounded by black bands of energy, at each other. The attacks broke the webbing around them.

More webbing shot at them from the trees, but this time they were able to dodge it.

Milo looked around frantically. "How do we hit what we can't see?" he said.

"We hit everything!" Philip yelled. "Disarming Voice!"

Rosie screamed, and waves of pink energy hit the trees. An Ariados and a Galvantula fell from the trees.

Meanwhile, Decidueye swooped down and hit Shinx with his wing, who blocked the attack with his tail. Decidueye flew back, then fell from the sky as the poison took hold."Give up!" Phillip cried.

"We're not letting you have this Snorlax!" Iscariot looked furious. "You three are dirty sinners! How dare you protect this False Pokemon. It is a harbinger of our destruction-"

"Snorlax is a Pokemon!" Flynn shouted. "It deserves every right any other Pokemon has. How dare you try to hurt it!"

Iscariot flinched. "You-"

"I'm not done." Flynn snapped. "You claim to be trying to help others, but you're trying to hurt Snorlax. All you are is a self-righteous, holier-than-thou hypocrite. If the rest of your church is like this, then the Artless Brotherhood is nothing but a group of bigots."

Iscariot was fuming. He took a step forward, but Flynn held her ground. "How dare you, you insolent child, insult my Church?" He shouted. He pulled out three pokeballs. "I'll destroy you all myself!"

Iscariot threw the balls, and three black pokemon with red hair and red claws appeared. Their blue eyes began to glow.

Flynn took a step back.

Iscariot grinned. "Zoroark, Night Daze!"


	7. Ellie and Flynnie

"Dodge!" all three of them yelled. But their mistake was not knowing Night Daze. The move spread from the ground as a wave of darkness, knocking their Pokémon off their feet.

"You three can do better than that, can't you?" Iscariot gloated. "Feint Attack!"

Zoroark rushed forward, disappearing. But Shinx swiped the air with his tail. Zoroark appeared and was thrown back.

"That good enough for you?" Flynn gloated. "I told you, Shinx can see anything!"

Iscariot looked livid. "Zombie Strike!" he cried.

"Iron Defense!" Milo yelled.

Black shadows slinked from Zoroark's body, rising and forming a fist. The fist crashed down on Rosie but Bergmite jumped in the way, his body becoming steel. The fist bounced off of Bergmite, disintegrating into shadows.

"Thanks, Milo!" Phillip cried. "Psybeam!"

"Night Shade!"

Zoroark shot a jagged black beam at Rosie, who countered it with a beam of pink energy. The two beams collided in an explosion of pink and black.

Flynn gritted her teeth. "Guys, we have to try harder! Shinx, Poison-"

"That's not very smart, Flynnie."

Flynn looked to her left. Standing at the edge of the trees was a young blond girl with long, curly locks. She had a sweet smile and bright green eyes.

Flynn nearly choked. "Ellis-"

Milo grabbed her arm. "Flynn, who is this?"

Flynn looked at Ellis. "How are you here?" Flynn demanded.

Ellis grinned. "Haven't you figured it out?"

Flynn looked at Zoroark and Iscariot. "It's an illusion." she realized. "How dare-"

Iscariot grinned. "Amazing, isn't it?" he said. "I told you my Pokémon attack silently. Zoroark's silent attack invades the brain, digging out your worst fears. Unfortunately, it only works on one person at a time. I suppose Zoroark chose you because of your vile disrespect."

"You should really watch your tongue, Flynnie." Ellis chided.

"Shut up! You're not real." Flynn growled. Her body shook. "You're not my Ellie."

Ellis' smile slid from her face. She looked like she had been slapped. "Is that why you left me, Flynn? Because what we had wasn't real?"

Flynn glared at her. "That's not what I said." Flynn snapped. "And I don't have to answer an illusion who resembles my old friend. Shinx, Poison Tail!"

Shinx rushed forward, swinging his tail at Zoroark. Zoroark caught it with his claws,grabbing Shinx and throwing him. Rosie and Bergmite rushed at Zoroark, and the two of them began to pepper him with hits.

"'Old friend?'" "Ellis" said. "How could you leave me if we were friends?"

Flynn knew she wasn't real, but she couldn't help but answer. "You wouldn't come with me, Ellie! I tried -"

"You shouldn't have left!" Ellis said. "You should have stayed with me!"

"I couldn't stay," Flynn said. "Not even for you. And you can't stay either."

Ellis covered her mouth, her eyes watering. Then she disappeared, her form shimmering like mist.

Flynn turned to Zoroark, who had collapsed.

Iscariot was fuming. "How-"

Flynn balled her fists. "I knew you were too strong to beat by force, so I has Shinx poison Zoroark at the start of the battle. This whole battle was us stalling until the poison won over."

Iscariot reached for another Pokéball, but a cry came from the trees. A orange and black blur rushed at Iscariot, pinning him.

Flynn looked behind her. A woman in a police outfit glared at Iscariot.

"I might have sent a text to the police." Phillip admitted, looking proud of himself.

Milo frowned. "You can text the police?"

* * *

Flynn felt emotionally exhausted. It was like she had run out of tears without even crying.

 _"How could you leave me if we're friends?"_

Flynn shook her head to get rid of the image.

"Flynn?"

Milo and Phillip were in front of her. Milo had a terse smile, and Phillip was biting his bottom lip. The three of them were in a Pokémon Center on Route 1. The officers had driven them there after arresting Iscariot.

"We're cleared to go." Milo said quietly. "The detective interviewed us already. You okay?"

Flynn nodded. "I'm fine, Milo."

Phillip crossed his arms. He looked less stern and more like he was holding himself. "I can't believe someone would do that to an innocent Pokémon. That poor baby."

Flynn felt a fresh wave of anger rush over her. She had forgotten the poor Snorlax. "He's a piece of shit." she agreed. "But Delta Snorlax will be alright. We sent him to Professor Sylvan. Snorlax is in good hands."

Phillip looked reassured. He smiled brightly at her. "You're right. That lunatic is in jail, and you kicked his ass. Snorlax will be fine."

"Flynn, who was that girl?" Milo blurted out.

A lesser Flynn would have flinched. Instead, she grimaced. "I was hoping you wouldn't ask."

"Flynn-" Milo started.

"She's just an old friend." Flynn said resolutely. "You know I grew up in a bad neighborhood. When I left home, she didn't want to come with me. She had personal reasons to stay, just like I had personal reasons to go. That's all."

Milo nodded slowly. He seemed to be dropping it, or at least he was for now.

A traitorous part of Flynn wished he would press on. She wanted to tell him about Ellis, her Ellie, but she couldn't. Not without telling him the whole story, a story she was forbidden to tell.

So Flynn did what she did best- she bottled it up and smiled.

* * *

 _ **A/N: *insert "I'm back bitch" gif from AHS***_

 _ **Sorry for the long wait. I have no excuses except that I wanted to work on a different story.**_

 _ **Reader Question Time! The whole plot can't be catching Delta Pokémon, since they're supposed to be rare. Should the main characters take on the gyms, contests, or something else? The world is their oyster! Well, Torren is their oyster. Second Question! What are some good themes for the admins of the cults? Remember, in my stories each admin has a theme/power, i.e. an ability taught to each of their Pokémon that allows them to do things others can't. For example, Iscariot trained his Pokémon to be extremely quick and capable of staying hidden so they are almost impossible to see.**_

 _ **That's all folks!**_


	8. Others

Midna Town was a quaint little town, one with cobblestone paths and old-fashioned houses. Milo had expected the town to be more gnarly, considering it was built around a mine.

"Midna Town was created gradually as miners began to settle down around Midna Mine." Milo read from a pamphlet. They were walking around town together, taking in the sights. Phillip was doing more than taking them in - he stole pictures and bought souvenirs. "The gym was constructed after the death of Gym Leader East and the subsequent closing of his gym once he was discovered to be a cultist.'"

Flynn perked up. Milo knew she loved gossip. "I remember that! Wasn't he an admin in the Sky Cult or something?"

"Something like that." Milo said. "I can't believe someone of that caliber was a cultist. People used to say he was the strongest gym leader and everyone respected him. Utterly despicable."

Phillip shrugged. "Maybe he was born into it? When you live your whole life like that, it's hard to escape.""

"Yeah, but tons of people have rough childhoods and still become good people." Milo pointed out,but he wasn't so sure.

"He's right." Flynn said. "What's that old saying? 'It's not the circumstances of your birth, but what you do with the gift of life that defines you.' He made his choices. So did Iscariot and other cultists."

Milo bit his lip, a nervous habit of his. On one hand, Phillip brought up a good point. Most of them didn't have a choice to be in a cult. But it was hard to feel sympathy for them after meeting Iscariot.

"So you said there's a gym here?" Phillip asked Milo. "We should check it out."

"Why?" Flynn wondered. "You're not old enough to enter the Pokémon League. The age cap in Torren is 17."

"Milo is." Phillip pointed out. "So are you. Why don't you guys enter?"

Flynn shook her head. "No way. I'm waiting until I'm older."

Phillip smiled at Milo. Milo had to fight the urge to smile back. "What about you, Milo?"

Milo shook his head. "I- I can't. I'm not prepared at all and I'm not nearly strong enough -"

Phillip put a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, relax. It's okay."

Milo blushed.

* * *

When they arrived at the Pokémon Center, Milo checked his phone. Shit. Several calls from Dakota. Milo slipped away from his friends with an excuse that he had to place a call, which wasn't a lie. Flynn gave him a knowing look that Milo ignored.

Once outside, Milo called Dakota.

A picture of Dakota and Milo appeared on the screen. Dakota's smile was bright and playful, while Milo's was forced. Like Milo, he had tan skin and curly hair, but his skin was a shade lighter and his hair was perfectly styled. Milo remembered taking the picture - he told Dakota to smile, but Dakota refused unless Milo was in the picture too.

"Milo?" Dakota sounded worried. Milo internally cursed.

"Hey, Dakota." Milo said, wondering if pretending the call dropped would work. Probably not.

"Why haven't you been answering my calls?" Dakota demanded.

"I accidentally left my phone on silent-"

"You could have been dead, or worse -"

"The only thing worse than death is this conversation." Milo muttered.

"Very funny, asshole." Dakota snapped. "I was worried sick. You were attacked by a cultist yesterday and I had to hear it from Mom and Dad!"

"I was waiting to call you tonight, because that's when I usually call. " Milo explained. "Besides, I'm sure Mom and Dad told you that I'm alright. I didn't even get a scratch."

"They did, but that's not the point." Dakota snapped. "To them, as long as you're not dead it's not their problem. They didn't tell me if you were scared or crying or-"

"I didn't cry." Milo said. He considered throwing the phone, except he was far too responsible to do such a thing. "And I wasn't scared. I fought back. We won. Can't you just be proud of me?"

"Milo, I'm always proud." Dakota said. "But you need to understand your limitations. It's okay if you're scared or hurt. It's okay if you want to come home."

"I'm not coming home." Milo said firmly. "I'm an adult. I can do things on my own just like any other adult - "

"But you're not like other adults, Milo!"

Milo went silent. It took Dakota a second to realize what he had just said.

"Milo I didn't mean it like that-"

Milo hung up. He felt his cheek burning, and it took him a second to realize he was crying.

 _Dakota's right_. Milo thought. _I'm not like everyone else. Flynn or Phillip wouldn't sit here and cry. They'd do something. Something to prove that they were strong._

Milo wiped his eyes. He knew what he had to do, but did he have the courage to do it?

 _You need to understand your limitations._

 _It's okay if you want to come home._

 _You're not like other adults, Milo!_

Milo wiped his eyes one last time, then walked inside. He headed straight for the reception desk.

Milo took a deep breath. "Hi. I'd like to register for the Pokémon League?"

* * *

 ** _A/N: So Milo is entering the Pokémon League. But what does Dakota mean when he says Milo's different? And how far will Milo get?_**

 ** _(P.S: Dakota is an OC created by ViceBachelor on . Go check him out!)_**


	9. Enter the Mines!

Milo's friends took the news with varying levels of enthusiasm.

"This is so awesome, Milo!" Phillip cried. They were waiting outside the Pokemon Center, waiting for their cab to arrive. It wold take them to Midna mines, the location of the Gym.

Milo shrugged. "It's alright, I guess."

Flynn looked less impressed. "What made you change your mind, Milo?" she asked. Her arms were crossed.

Milo wondered if he could get away with another shrug, then decided against it. "Nothing. I just thought it'd be cool."

"It doesn't have anything to do with your brother calling, does it?" Flynn asked shrewdly.

Damn her. "No, it doesn't," Milo said. "I can make decisions independent of other people!"

"Are you sure your brother isn't forcing you?" Flynn asked. "Because if so, I'll kick his ass."

"I, for one, would love to see that." Phillip said, nearly smiling.

Milo glared at them both. "He's not forcing me. It's the opposite - I'm doing this to prove to him I'm capable of doing it."

"So you're trying to prove him wrong." Flynn said. "In that case, I'm down. Let's kick some gym leader butt."

"You're impossible, Flynn."

"Where is the gym?" Phillip wondered.

Milo pulled out the brochure he got from the Pokémon Center. "Says here it's in the Midna mines. Bottom floor."

Flynn groaned. "Ugh I do not want to go into a dirty cave. My outfit is _not_ made for that."

Milo pinched her arm. "What happened to supporting me?"

"Bras support people," Flynn said, "Friends go along with stupid ideas then regret it later."

Milo took that as confirmation that she was going.

"I don't mind going in a mine!" Phillip said eagerly. "What if we find gold?!"

"You don't mind because you always look good. Jerk." Flynn said with a scowl.

"Thanks, Flynn!" Phillip beamed.

"Phillip, the mines have been barren for years." Milo said. "So no gold."

"Wait, then why weren't they filled in, if their isn't anything to mine?" Flynn asked.

"The mines are basically a tourist attraction now." Milo said. "I'm not surprised they built a gym down there."

Milo jumped into the air as a loud honk cut through their conversation. Their taxi had arrived.

* * *

The entrance to Midna Mines stood out like a sore thumb compared to the rest of the town. It resembled a cave, only framed by wooden planks in a square formation. A track led down into the mines, and the darkness made it impossible to see inside.

Milo swallowed. "Let's do this."

Together, they entered the mines.

Once inside, it became to dark to see anything in front of them.

"I've got this!" Phillip said. He launched a pokeball into the air. It opened, spewing out a fountain of bright light.

"Togepriiii!" Angel greeted them cheerfully.

"Use Flash, Angel!" Phillip exclaimed.

Angel fluttered his wings as it began to glow. Around them, the cave became illuminated. Milo gasped.

The cave was enormous. The ceiling stretched away from them, almost like a new sky. A set of tracks went into darkness that even Angel's light didn't penetrate.

"Zu!"

"Look out!"

Flynn tackled Milo as a swarm of Zubat flew at them. Angel fluttered his wings rapidly, causing a gust of wind that kept them at bay.

Flynn helped Milo up. "Phillip! Blow the Zubat away from us!"

"Got it!"

Flynn grinned at Milo, and Milo grinned back. He knew what she was thinking.

Both Flynn aand Milo pulled out a Pokéball and threw it.

"Grimer, Poison Gas!"

"Graveler, Spark!"

Graveler and Grimer appeared and immediately jumped into action. Grimer opened its gaping maw and spewed a cloud of purple gas at the Zubat. It only engulfed some of them, but that was okay. Graveler shot sparks into the gas, and the gas ignited, swallowing the Zubat in a fiery explosion.

When the smoke cleared, they all lay on the floor, unconscious and worn.

"What was that all about?" Milo wondered. "Pokémon in public areas are usually more civil.

"I think it's because this is a gym," Flynn suggested. "They're trained to attack people and make it harder."

"Lovely," Milo muttered. "Just what we need."

The three of them kept walking, every so often getting attacked by a Pokémon. After a particularly nasty tussle with a group of Carbink, they came to an opening. Light streamed out of it..

They walked through it, and Milo was greeted by a battlefield drawn on the rocky floor in sand. The room was dimly lit, with black gemstones jutting from the walls. They glistened even in the low light. Milo looked closer, then realized that they were the source of the dim light.

"Challengers. How surprising."

Milo looked on the other side of the battlefield. Standing there was a boy about Milo's age. He was short, with fair skin that marked him as a Kalos native. He wore a pale pink shirt that had flaps on the bottom, the back one longer than the front. The shirt had a seven pointed star on it, designed to look like dripping paint. His skinny jeans were black and ruffled periodically down his legs. His shaggy hair was pale pink as well, and his eyes were almost white. He wore black wristbands along his arms and had a single piercing in his right ear.

"I'm Puck." He said, staring them down. His voice was like the gravel, and it almost hurt Milo's throat to listen to him talk. It echoed around the cavern. "And you three?"

"We're not challengers," Flynn said quickly. "He is." She pointed to Milo.

Puck examined Milo, but it seemed more like a glare. "What's your name, kid?"

"M-Milo." He said. "Milo Lantana. I'm here to challenge you."

"Yes, she said so." Puck said. "But do you think you're worthy of the Spriggan Badge?"

"I'm going to find out." Milo said, gaining confidence. He was tired of being told he couldn't do it, that he was incapable.

"Very well." Puck said. "I guess we'll play, then. Get ready to face Puck, the Dark Fairy of Midna Town!"


	10. Milo vs The Dark Fairy!

"This will be a two on two battle," Flynn announced, acting as the referee. She spared a worried glance at Milo. Milo nodded back. "League Rules. No items. Only the challenger may substitute. First one to knock out the other Pokémon wins. The lowest level Pokémon starts the battle. Trainers, call your Pokémon!"

Milo pulled out a Pokeball, then threw it. "Graveler!"

"Kirlia!"

Graveler stared down his opponent, a humanoid Pokemon that appeared to be wearing a tutu. It's thin green legs supported the ballerina look, as did it's green hair that reached both shoulders. It had two red horns on either side of it's head, resembling hairclips.

Milo scanned it with his Pokedex.

 _"Kirlia, the Pokemon. It is said that a Kirlia that is exposed to the positive emotions of its Trainer grows beautiful. This Pokémon controls psychokinetic powers with its highly developed brain. Kirlia uses the horns on its head to amplify its psychokinetic power. Ability: Synchronize."_

On the screen, Milo saw a list of its moves and stats. He could already feel a strategy forming in his head.

"Go Milo!"

Milo looked to his left, then blanch ed. Flower petals floated in the air, levitated by Rose. It took Milo a second to realize they spelled out "Milo for President!" Phillip was cheering beside them with Angel.

Milo looked away, ignoring them. He had to concentrate.

"Lame," Puck muttered.

Milo scrunched his eyebrows together. "Lame?"

"You're friends," Puck said, tilting his head. "They didn't have to come into the mines with you, yet they did. Now they cheer you on. Someone who needs all this encouragement obviously doesn't think much of himself."

Milo felt his face heat up. "I-I didn't come here to talk!"

"I'm the Dark Fairy," Puck said, as if Milo said nothing, "Unlike other Fairies, I prefer to be alone. Relying on others is messy at best."

"'You prefer to be alone?'" Phillip said. "More like no one can stand you long enough to be your friend!"

"Where do you get off psychoanalyzing others, Edge Lord?" Flynn demanded

"I'm just saying," Puck continued, "That you two don't need to fight his battles."

Milo balled his fists. "I don't need anyone!" he snapped. "Shut up and fight!"

"Very well," Puck said, "Let's begin. Kirlia, Calm Mind."

Kirlia became swathed in a pink aura. Her eyes were closed, as if she were lost in thought.

 _That's a double stat boost,_ Milo thought, _Special Defense and Special Attack. I need to take her out before she can set up any more._

"Graveler, Rock Blast!" Milo yelled.

"Grav!" Graveler cried. Small rocks formed round him, then shot like bullets toward Kirlia.

Kirlia waved her hand, and the rocks stopped in midair, then plummeted to the ground.

"Is that your best?" Puck said. "This will be easy. Kirlia, Magical Leaf."

Kirlia waved her arms. Leaves of various colors formed in the air, then rocketed toward Graveler.

"Graveler, Iron Defense!" Milo yelled. Graveler became cloaked in iron. The leaves bounced off his body harmlessly.

"So you can play," Puck mused, "Surprising. Kirlia sensed many insecurities in you."

"What?" Milo took a step back.

"Kirlia can sense emotions," Puck said. His eyes gleamed. "I've trained her to transmit those emotions to me, allowing me to read my opponent perfectly."

"That's against league rules!" Flynn cried. "You can't use Pokemon abilities on humans during battle."

"Exactly," Puck said. "That is why Kirlia did it before the battle started. Perfectly legal."

Milo felt sick. This couldn't be happening.

"But I sensed something interesting before the battle," Puck continued, "Something strange. I think I know what it is. Wnt me to share with the class, Milo?"

Milo balled his fists. "Thunder Punch!" he cried.

Graveler rushed forward, swinging an electrified fist at Kirlia. Kirlia put her hands on her temples, and Graveler flew backwards.

"Kirlia's Psychic power is too great," Puck said, "She can knock any attack away. You might as well give up, Milo."

"You're horrible!" Phillip cried.

"Maybe," Puck said nonchalantly, "or maybe I am doing my job. Gym Leaders are supposed to test their opponents strength. That's what I'm doing."

"This is sadistic!" Flynn argued. "Where do you get off playing with other's emotions?"

"You accuse me of playing with other's emotions?" Puck said. "When Milo is hiding something from you two? That he's really-"

"SHUT UP!" Milo roared. "Graveler, Stone Edge!"

Graveler punched the ground. Jagged stone pillars erupted from the earth around Kirlia, crushing her between them. The pillars shook as she tried to move them with her Psychic power.

"You have no right to tell them," Milo said. He felt like his chest was going to collapse on itself, but he pressed on. "It's my secret! No one is entitled to know anything about me but me. Graveler, Discharge!"

Graveler pounded his fists together, and blue electricity shot form between them, hitting Kirlia and lighting up the battlefield.

"Kirlia is unable to battle!" Flynn called.

"Return!" Puck shouted, pressing the button on his pokeball. Kirlia was hit by a beam of red light, then sucked inside the ball. "Roserade!"

A Pokemon appeared. It had a violet fan in both hands, one lined with red lace. It's body was the same, violet with red lace.

"A Delta Roserade?" Phillip gasped.

The ground began to shake. Around Roserade, rocks rose form the ground, burying her.

"Roserade is unable to battle!" Flynn cheered. "Milo is the winner!"

"But how-" Puck gasped.

"The Rock Blast at the beginning?" Milo said. "It was a Stealth Rock. The attack was never going to hit anyway, so it didn't matter that you blocked it."

Puck looked livid. "You-"

"Give him the badge." Flynn snapped. "Or I'll take it."

Puck snarled, throwing the badge at Milo. Milo tried to catch it, but it flew past him. Phillip dived for it.

"Here, Milo!" Phillip scrambled to his feet and handed Milo the badge.

Milo took it, then looked at Puck. He was gone.

"He ran off," Flynn explained.

"Probably scared you'd kick his ass." Phillip said, laughing.

Milo looked at the badge. It looked like a pair of black fairy wings.

Milo pinned the badge on his vest. "Guys, " Milo said, without looking at them, "about what he said-"

Flynn cut him off. "Milo, I don't care," she said, "I'm your best friend. I know you better than Puck or Kirlia ever will. Whatever he was talking about, you can tell us when you're ready."

Phillip nodded. "Yeah. Besides, the fact that Puck was going to out your secret says more about him than you. He's a piece of crap."

Milo couldn't help but smile. His heart was still felt like a black hole in his chest, but for some reason he felt like it was less important than before.

"Let's go," Milo said, "I'm tired of this cave."

* * *

"So you lost." Cherry said, popping her gum. Even on his computer screen, Cherry looked annoying- her bright red hair, arranged in a pixie cut, and shredded black clothes made her look like a Team Skull wannabe. "Big deal. You lose all the time."

"I was humiliated!" Puck cried. "I want that kid's Pokemon!"

"I can't rob every person who makes you look like a fool." Cherry said boredly. "I mean, you wouldn't want me to rob you."

"Laugh it up, you ass." Puck snapped. "I hope you're laughing when Father punishes me for screwing up."

Cherry grinned lazily. "I might."

Puck nearly threw his phone. "Cherry!" He cried. "If I lose one more battle, I'll go down in rank. And I can't imagine what Father will do if I lose B-rank..."

"Relax." Cherry said. "I'll take out the kid, if that makes you feel better. Beat him in battle, scare him enough that he won't say nothing. That way the news that you lost doesn't get out. In the meantime, you need to defeat more trainers to secure your place."

Puck nodded. "You're right."

Cherry popped her gum again. "Of Course I am. I'm A-rank, which makes me better than you in every possible way."

Puck groaned.


	11. Phillip Wimps Out!

"I can't believe you two got us kicked out." Milo grumbled as they walked away from Terra Ruins. A security guard was glaring them down as they walked.

"How was I supposed to know that we weren't allowed to take photos?" Phillip complained.

"The sign that said 'no photography'!" Milo said shrilly. Phillip wondered if he and Flynn were bad for Milo's heart.

"The sign was three feet off the ground." Phillip said. "Someone made the conscious choice to put it there where I couldn't see. Not everyone can be short, Milo."

Milo glared at him. "I will punch you in the throat."

"Can you reach?" Phillip said, the corners of his mouth twitching.

Milo groaned, eliciting a laugh from Phillip.

"I still think he shouldn't have kicked us out." Flynn said, fixing her makeup in her phone camera.

Phillip sighed and fished a makeup mirror out of his bag. "Using your phone camera, Flynn? Amateur hour."

Flynn stuck her tongue out at him but accepted the mirror.

Milo, however, was not done. "Flynn, you told him to take his flashlight and shove it up his ass."

Phillip broke out into giggles.

"Well, he shouldn't have shined the light in our faces." Flynn grumbled.

"You're both impossible." Milo muttered.

Phillip grinned and slung an arm around Milo. "Lighten up. You need to smile-o, Milo."

Milo ducked under his arm. "That was a lame pun."

"I tried."

They stopped. In front of them was a cave mouth made of bluish black rock.

"Here's where Delta Wimpod was spotted," Flynn said.

Milo nodded, staring at his phone screen. "According to this website, Wimpod were introduced into this cave to help keep it clean. They eat the dirt, trash and debris left by careless trainers."

"Aren't Minccino usually the Pokémon used for that job?" Phillip asked.

"Minccino aren't really cave Pokémon." Milo said.

Flynn shined her phone flashlight into the tunnel. "Let's go."

The walk through the cave was fairly uneventful, unless you count Phillip snapping pictures of Pokemon an event. As they walked, they checked behind rocks and in holes for Wimpod. Everytime they saw one, it would shriek and scurry deeper into its hole.

"Guys," Flynn stopped. "Did I you hear - "

Suddenly, the whole cave shook. Phillip looked at his friends, then they each pulled out a Pokéball.

"Rose!"

"Grimer!"

"Bergmite!"

The three Pokémon burst from their balls, ready to fight.

The cave shook again, and Phillip heard a shriek.

"This way guys!" Phillip cried, running forward. He could hear Milo and Flynn footsteps chasing after him.

Phillip stopped, looking at the crowd of Pokemon before him. They were purple bug Pokémon with grey plating covering most of their body. Purple horns jutted from both sides of their face.

In the middle of the crowd was a Wimpod unlike the others. It had silvery blue plates with a bluish black body and horns. It's glowing tail illuminated the cavern with a violet light.

"Hey!" Phillip yelled. "Leave them alone! Rose, Psychic!"

The stone on Rose's back began to glow as she lifted the crowd of Wimpod with psychic energy then threw them away from the glowing Wimpod. Rose, Grimer, and Bergmite jumped in front of the glowing Wimpod.

The Wimpod all began to shake as bursts of green energy shot from their bodies like fireworks.

"Psybeam!"

"Acid Spray!"

"Rock Throw!"

Rose shot a beam of pink energy from her crystal, Shinx sprayed acid at the Wimpod, and Bergmite launched rocks at them. The three attacks hit the sparks and exploded, knocking their Pokémon off their feet.

"Wimp!" The glowing Wimpod rushed in front of them, it's tail glowing brighter.

"What move is that?" Flynn cried, shielding her eyes.

Phillip quickly pulled out his pokedex.

" _Tail Glow, a Bug Type move. Class: Status. The user flashes a light that sharply raises its Special Atk stat."_

Delta Wimpod's tail kept growing brighter. The light was purple, and shot like tendrils at the crowd of Wimpod. They scurried away, crying out in fear. Soon, all the Wimpod were gone.

"Pod!" Delta Wimpod buzzed. It began to dim down, though his tail was bright as ever.

Phillip scanned the Wimpod again.

" _UV Strike, a Dark Type move. Class: Special. Tendrils of UV light attack the foe_."

Phillip looked at Wimpod. It grinned back, scuttling towards them. Phillip scooped it in his arms.

"You okay, little fella?" Phillip cooed.

"It's more than okay," Milo said, pulling out his own pokedex.

" _Delta Wimpod, the Ultraviolet Pokémon. Dark/Bug. Delta Wimpod's glowing tail keeps it from hiding like a normal Wimpod, and thus it is often blaimed by other Wimpod for endangering them. It gets stronger in the dark. Ability: Glow. Male."_

"I thought the pokedex couldn't scan Delta Pokémon." Flynn said.

"The new software update includes Deltas." Milo explained.

"That's why they attacked you," Phillip said, "because you're different. Don't worry buddy, we got you."

Wimpod wriggled in Phillip's arms. "Wimp!" he cried.

"It's weird that the other Wimpod attack it," Milo noted. "I mean, aren't Wimpod usually cowards?"

"Ganging up on others is cowardly." Flynn pointed out. "Especially if it's to save your own skin."

Wimpod went still and looked at the floor. It's tail dimmed.

"Hey, none of that." Phillip said. "Never let anyone make you feel bad for being different. Instead, do what you just did. Make what they hate about you into your greatest strength."

Wimpod snuggled close to Phillip.

Phillip looked up and saw that Milo and Flynn were staring at him intently.

"What?" Phillip asked.

"Nothing," Milo said, "That's just great advice."

"Wimp!"

Out of the shadows, a large figure leaped at them. Before Phillip had a chance to move, the figure bounced off a barrier of light.

"Golisopod!" it roared. It seemed to be a cross between a Wimpod and one of the mechas from Phillip's favorite anime.

"I think this Golisopod is here to avenge the Wimpod!" Flynn said. She pulled out her pokedex as Golisopod clawed at the barrier.

" _Golisopod, the Hard Scale Pokémon. Bug/Water. With a flashing slash of its giant sharp claws, it cleaves seawater—or even air—right in. It battles skillfully with its six arms, but spends most of its time peacefully meditating in caves deep beneath the sea. : Emergency Exit."_

"We've got to take it out!" Flynn cried. She looked at Shinx.

"Wimp!" Wimpod jumped from Phillip's arms onto the cave floor. He looked at the other three Pokémon, and they backed up.

"No." Phillip said.

Milo raised both brows and recoiled. "Phillip, protect won't last forever! We have to fight!"

"Wimpod has to do it." Phillip said. "It's what he wants. If it looks to serious, we'll jump in."

Milo and Flynn looked unsure, but thwir silence told Phillip that they understood.

Wimpod looked at Phillip,motioning forward with his tail.

Phillip grinned. "Let's do it, Wimpod!"

"Wimp!"

Phillip scanned Wimpod again, looking at its ability and moveset. "Wimpod, let down the shield!"

"Wimp!" Wimpod's barrier fell. Golisopod launched himself at them.

"Flash!" Phillip yelled. Wimpod shined a beam of bright light from his tail at Golisopod. Golisopod stumbled back.

"Tail Glow!" Phillip yelled. Wimpod's tail lit up like a Christmas tree. "UV Strike!"

Violet streams of light shot from Wimpod's tail. Golisipod slashed them away as if they were nothing.

Phillip cursed internally. "Power Gem!"

Gemstones appeared around Wimpod. Beams of light shot from them at Golisopod. Golisopod was pushed by the beams into the wall

Golisopod vegan to melt, turning into water. The water rushed at Wimpod, flinging him across the cave.

Flynn stepped forward, but Phillip extended an arm to stop her. "Flynn, we've got this. New Moon!"

The cave grew darker. Soon, the only thing visible was Wimpod's tail.

"Gol?"

"UV Strike!" Phillip yelled. A beam of light so bright it hurt to look at shot from Wimpod's tail, enveloping Golisopod. It cried out in pain.

When the light cleared, Golisopod was unconscious.

* * *

"Phillip, I'm so tired of you." Professer Sylvan told him over the phone. Phillip, Milo, and Flynn were camping in the cave tonight. Tomorrow, they'd arrive in Suntouched City. Flynn and Milo were sitting nearby, watching a video on Flynn's phone. "Do you know how rare and interesting Delta Wimpod are? They have a unique ability and a signature move. And you decide to keep it?"

Phillip rolled his eyes. "But Auntie, he chose me. I mean, he practically jumped in the pokeball."

"I'm choosing to believe you because I love you, Phillip," Sylvan said. Her voice told Phillip she was fighting back a smile. "But I get to keep the next Delta Pokemon."

"We'll see..."

"Phillip!"

* * *

 ** _A/N: Okay so I created my own Delta (Link (remove the spaces) : pbs - h2 . / media / C9tATGmXYAAJjs7 . jpg ) . What do you guys think? I also made a picture, but it sucks bc I'm not an artist. But meh._**

 ** _Btw, Glow and UV Strike are original moves created for this story. Glow makes Wimpod stronger in the dark and you know what UV Strike does._**

 ** _Also, feel free to submit your own Delta! I request a picture, though if you can't make one I'll understand._**


End file.
